Gunman Killed, Hostage Rescued in Ind. Standoff

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. - A woman held hostage inside a convenience store for nearly 20 hours was rescued Thursday and the suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers, authorities said.

Shelby County Prosecutor Kent Apsley confirmed the death of the man, who entered the Bigfoot store Wednesday morning after a police chase on a nearby highway. The noise was heard in the store about 6:30 a.m.

Authorities gave no details on the condition of the hostage, but a woman could be seen running with police from the scene. Earlier, they had said the hostage was uninjured and "in good spirits, under the circumstances."

Police had worked overnight trying to persuade the man to give himself up.

State police Sgt. Ray Poole said the hostage-taking occurred after police in nearby Batesville began pursuing a car carrying two men, chasing them for about 35 miles along Interstate 74.

Other officers stretched spike stop sticks across the interstate, but the driver dodged the sticks and entered the median, driving the wrong way on eastbound lanes for a short distance.

The car eventually turned around and exited onto a state road, where witnesses said it broadsided a pickup truck and then pulled into the Bigfoot's parking lot around 10:45 a.m.

Police apprehended one of the men but the other man jumped out, fired at officers and entered the store.

"He started firing at the police," said Victoria Felts of Rushville, who was pumping gas when the gunman drove the damaged car into the parking lot.

Felts said she fled: "I was closer than most people would want to be."

Shelbyville is in central Indiana, about 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis.